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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: October 3, 2016

“GENIUS” #DONtheCON KEEPS DIGGING; HILLARY CLINTON CONTINUES CALLING UPON OUR BETTER ANGELS: Over a you-can’t-make-it-up weekend, Donald Trump became increasingly unhinged, lashing out after The New York Times reported he likely hasn’t paid federal taxes since 1995 when he claimed a massive $916 million loss because of his huuuuge business failures. Reeling from the blockbuster report, and his disastrous debate performance earlier in the week, #DontheCon mocked Hillary Clinton’s recent bout with pneumonia; questioned her loyalty to her husband of more than four decades, former President Bill Clinton; and yesterday sent out the sorriest squad of surrogates in the modern era of presidential politics to argue, hilariously, that avoiding taxes makes Trump a “genius.”

Once again #DontheCon appears to have dodged his duty — now on taxes. Always pointing fingers, never doing his fair share. #ImWithHer

HILLARY CLINTON CALLS FOR RACIAL HEALING IN CHARLOTTE: Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton continued to demonstrate her leadership, heading to Charlotte, NC, and making a powerful call for racial healing while addressing congregants at Little Rock AME Zion Church following the recent fatal police shooting of Keith Scott. “Protecting all of God’s children is America’s calling,” Clinton said. “Our entire country should take a moment to really look at what’s going on here and across America, to imagine what we see on the news and what we hear about, imagine it through our children’s eyes.” Read more in The Charlotte Observer.

IF LGBTQ PEOPLE VOTE, CLINTON WINS. SIMPLE AS THAT: In an interview with Hana A Khalyleh (@hana_khalyleh) of The Arizona Republic, HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) said that “if Latinos, women and LGBT people vote, Hillary wins. It’s as simple as that… No one wants to see a headline that Trump became president just because a few people didn’t vote.” Arizona has more than 200,000 LGBTQ adults — a significant portion of the voting bloc. In many key battleground states, the number of LGBTQ adults exceeds the margin of victory in the 2012 presidential election for the state — including Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Florida (check out this Orlando Sentinel piece on the Florida equality vote). Griffin traveled to Phoenix last week to kick off a phone bank staffed by HRC volunteers working to turn out the pro-equality vote.

LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH/#TurnOUT FOR EQUALITY: October is LGBTQ History Month, and this year, it’s more consequential than ever. Mobilizing the pro-equality vote will make the difference between waking up on November 9 to a Trump-Pence administration — or celebrating the election of trailblazing champions to the White House.

MONDAY MUST WATCH: Watch as The Daily Show with Trevor Noah puts North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ law, HB2, to the test. It’s a hilarious, but harrowing, look at the law, and a stark reminder of stigma still existing around being perceived as LGBTQ.

VICTORY IN ALABAMA! ROY MOORE IS #NOMOORE: On Friday, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended anti-LGBTQ Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term for unethical and extralegal actions surrounding marriage equality. He will be unable to run for the office of Supreme Court justice again in Alabama as he will be past the office’s age restriction. In a unanimous decision, the nine-member Court of the Judiciary found Moore guilty of all six charges brought against him. “Roy Moore has flagrantly and willfully attempted to block marriage equality at every turn in Alabama, using his position of power to push a personal, radically anti-LGBTQ agenda. We are thrilled that justice has been done today and he will no longer be able to use the bench to discriminate against people he had taken an oath to to protect,” said Eva Kendrick, state manager for the Human Rights Campaign, Alabama. #NoMoore here.

RECAP: Earlier this year, HRC Alabama initiated the #NoMoore campaign to remove Moore from the Alabama Supreme Court for his blatant legal and ethical failings. HRC Alabama called out Moore’s discriminatory behavior with a billboard in downtown Montgomery, and held rallies and press conferences outside each of Moore’s ethics hearings — including last Wednesday’s final hearing.

HB2 FALLOUT CONTINUES AS CIAA MOVES CHAMPIONSHIPS OUT OF NC: On Friday, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announced it is moving championship games out of North Carolina due to the state’s anti-LGBTQ HB2 law. Eight of the CIAA’s 12 member schools are based in North Carolina. “Make no mistake, the fact that more championships are being moved out of North Carolina is a direct result of Pat McCrory’s stubborn refusal to repeal HB2,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “McCrory’s reckless response to the mess he created by signing HB2 into law continues to inflict serious harm on the state. Lawmakers who continue to ignore the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians and business leaders demanding the discriminatory law be repealed do so at their own risk come November.”

HRC ENDORSES RUSS FEINGOLD OF WISCONSIN FOR US SENATE: HRC has endorsed Russ Feingold, who has dedicated his career to making sure that LGBTQ people are treated equally under the law. Feingold’s opponent, Ron Johnson, believes in a world where companies can fire an LGBTQ person because of who they are or whom they love. Feingold championed LGBTQ equality long before it was politically popular. HRC looks forward to working with Feingold to pass the federal Equality Act. More from HRC.

THE UN APPOINTS FIRST EXPERT ON LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION: The United Nations (U.N.) officially appointed Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand to serve as its first-ever Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. More from HRC.

READING RAINBOW

Philstar looks at Orlando Cruz’s journey to becoming the first openly-gay world boxing champion… PBS Newshour interviews a photographer documenting the diverse beauty of the LGBTQ community… The Week explores the unique dangers of being LGBTQ in the Middle East… Gay Star News and The Pride LA say goodbye to the leading LGBTQ publications, as the publisher closes its doors, while other local LGBTQ publications say they’re “here to stay”… While hosting Saturday Night Live, Margot Robbie rocked t-shirt advocating marriage equality in her home country of Australia…